OSHA: Employers have 60 days to mandate COVID-19 vaccines

It is a monumental — if expected — development for workplaces throughout the U.S. But expect the news on the Emergency Temporary Standard to move fast.

By Ryan Golden • Updated Nov. 4, 2021

DoorDash adds delivery worker safety features

Following increases in theft and violence against its couriers, DoorDash added SafeDash so these workers can contact an ADT agent to request assistance during situations where they feel unsafe.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 4, 2021

NRA pushes Biden admin for supply chain solutions

Ninety-five percent of restaurants have experienced significant supply delays or shortages of key food items in recent months, according to the National Restaurant Association. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 2, 2021

Survey: 67% of NYC restaurants lost customers to vaccine mandate

A New York State Restaurant Association study found more than 90% of Big Apple restaurateurs have experienced customer-facing challenges around enforcing the mandate.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 1, 2021

Restaurant groups seek injunction before 80/20 tip rule takes effect Dec. 28

The updated regulation may raise timekeeping concerns for employers, and the National Restaurant Association argues the rule's timing "couldn't be worse for restaurants."

By Ryan Golden • Updated Dec. 21, 2021

McDonald's workers strike in protest of alleged sexual harassment

The fast food chain has been embroiled in controversy regarding its culture for some time.

By Kathryn Moody • Oct. 28, 2021

Starbucks will raise hourly wage floor to $15 a year ahead of schedule

The coffee chain's U.S. workers will be paid $15 to $23 an hour next summer, with an average of nearly $17. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 28, 2021

Labor shortage squeezes Popeyes' late night business

Staffing challenges led to about an hour reduction in operating times, particularly during evening hours when checks tend to be higher due to more family business, the company said on an earnings call Monday.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 25, 2021

Reef temporarily shuts down modular kitchens in New York City

The ghost kitchen platform's brick-and-mortar stores are still open in the market, and the modular kitchens were voluntarily closed after permits for those units expired, Reef said in a statement. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Oct. 22, 2021

NRA urges mayors to support expanded outdoor dining through winter

Outdoor dining makes up 20% or more of daily sales at 68% of full-service restaurants, but 61% of these operators can only use their outdoor spaces through October, according to the National Restaurant Association. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 20, 2021

In-N-Out refuses to enforce San Francisco's vaccine mandate

The chain, which is calling the health order government overreach, had to temporarily close its only San Francisco location after it refused to check customers' vaccine statuses. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 20, 2021

Report: Takeout and delivery orders expected to increase into the holiday season

Almost two-thirds of diners said they will consider ordering in instead of dining out as the holidays approach, citing their fears of the COVID-19 delta variant, according to a BentoBox survey.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 19, 2021

McDonald's US corporate stores reach gender pay parity

The burger giant currently pays women globally 99.85 cents on the dollar for similar work completed by men, but expects to hit pay parity worldwide in 2022.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 19, 2021

The key to a successful holiday season will be flexible staffing

For small employers, flexibility and adjustable hours are factors to compete on now that workers' demands are changing, writes Sumir Meghani, CEO and co-founder of Instawork.

By Sumir Meghani • Oct. 18, 2021

BLS: Hospitality worker quit rate is more than double national average

Over 890,000 workers left the industry in August, marking a quit rate of 6.8%, and Moody's reports that restaurants will be "forced to increase wages."

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 13, 2021

61% of restaurant operators disagree with vaccine mandate, study shows

Fifty-nine percent of operators believe employees will quit rather than comply with the requirement, but a majority also believe the mandate will make diners more comfortable.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 10, 2021

Chipotle agrees to $8M settlement in manager trainee classification suit

If approved by a court, the agreement — the latest in a string of labor-related settlements at the chain — will end nine years of litigation.

By Kate Tornone • Oct. 7, 2021

Los Angeles will require proof of vaccination for indoor dining

Unlike mandates passed by other major restaurant metros, the city's rule requires diners to be fully vaccinated.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 6, 2021

Half of Raising Cane's corporate staff will work in restaurants to fight labor shortage

Office workers will also help with store-level recruitment as the chicken chain aims to hire 10,000 hourly employees in the next 50 days.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Oct. 6, 2021

Chili's parent company to boost hourly employee pay to $18 by 2023

Brinker International also plans to raise Chili's general manager pay from $87,000 to $100,000 by 2025, a move that's part of the restaurant group's overall strategy to improve staffing. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 1, 2021

DOL expands fines for employers that keep workers' tips

The rule addresses fines for accidental or first-time offenses and is expected to take effect in late November.

By Kate Tornone • Sept. 27, 2021

Fight for $15 union challenges NLRB joint-employer rule

The complaint is the latest challenge to the standard's ever-changing interpretation.

By Emilie Shumway • Sept. 24, 2021

New York City Council passes delivery worker protection laws

The legislation includes a requirement for restaurants to provide couriers access to their bathrooms and set minimum pay for workers, representing the broadest protections for these workers in the U.S. 

By Julie Littman • Sept. 24, 2021

Coalition launches ballot initiative to end the tipped minimum wage in DC

One Fair Wage believes pandemic-induced labor pressure is increasing support to end the tip credit in the nation's capital, where such a proposal was overturned by city council in 2018.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Sept. 22, 2021

24 states vow to challenge Biden's vaccine mandate

The attorneys general called the order "disastrous and counterproductive" in a letter to the president and said it could exacerbate the labor shortage by driving workers to quit rather than comply.

By Kate Tornone , Julie Littman • Sept. 21, 2021